Fragile Home, which world premiered at the Venice IFF last year as part of the Venice Immersive section, examines the impact of the Ukrainian war on ordinary families, utilizing advanced mixed reality technology to blend digital and physical elements. The immersive experience transports viewers into the living room of a Ukrainian family, where a serene past gradually gives way to a tense, fear-laden present, reflecting the real-life turmoil faced by millions of Ukrainians since the onset of the war. Traditional Ukrainian melodies are interwoven throughout the narrative, evoking a sense of connection and empathy. Ondřej Moravec and his team draw attention to the ongoing struggles of the Ukrainian people, inviting viewers to reflect on their own sense of home and the fragility of their living spaces.

Fragile Home builds on themes Moravec previously explored with Ukrainian co-director Volodymyr Kolbasa in Fresh Memories: The Look, a film that premiered at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, capturing the stark realities of war-torn Kharkiv through a 360° camera lens. As one of the pioneering Czech VR filmmakers, Moravec’s works frequently feature on the festival circuit. His debut VR project, Darkening, tackled themes of depression and mental health and premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, showcasing his ability to handle delicate subjects with sensitivity and insight.

Fragile Home continues Moravec's exploration of new media and interactive storytelling. Supported by the Czech Audiovisual Fund and IKEA, the project was produced by Brainz Immersive, with Robin Pultera and Ondřej Moravec serving as producers. The film’s main artist, Longiy, and 3D developer, Jozef Barančik, along with creative producer Abdulaziz Aldigs, collaborated to bring this vision to life.

At Annecy, Fragile Home competed in the VR Works in Competition program with nine other VR films worldwide. The selection marked the first Czech contribution to this program.

The Northern Star, an animated political drama that follows the emotional journey of Polaris, a 17-year-old North Korean refugee adjusting to life in South Korea, is co-produced by the Czech studio Hausboot and France’s Les Films du Cygne, whose previous collaboration, Even Mice Belong in Heaven, premiered at Annecy in 2021. Based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Czech Koreanist and author Nina Špitalníková, the story examines the psychological and moral reckoning Polaris undergoes as she confronts her past role as a propagandist for the regime she escaped. Through her experience, the film explores questions of guilt, indoctrination, identity, and the personal cost of freedom.

Directed by Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec, co-director of The Swallows of Kabul, a film screened in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, the recipient of the Gan Foundation Award at Annecy and nominated for both the César and European Film Awards, The Northern Star utilises a stylised 2D aesthetic to highlight the dissonance between Polaris’s former life in the oppressive, monochromatic landscape of North Korea and her new, chaotic existence in Seoul. The animation serves as a visual framework for Polaris’s internal conflict, contrasting two ideological worlds while tracing her search for autonomy and meaning. The screenplay is penned by Czech writer and director Milada Těšitelová. Backed by the Czech Audiovisual Fund, Creative Europe MEDIA, and Région Sud, the film is slated for release in 2029.

The Northern Star was presented at Annecy as part of the 2025 Mifa Pitches program alongside another Czech project, The Acorn's Adventure, an animated feature by Filip Mašek slated for release in 2027 (learn more HERE).